PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 92, 12 October 1894, Page 2

PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

(Per Press Association. Wellington, October 11. Following is a resume of the Public Works Statement, which was laid on the table of the House this evening by the Hon Mr Seddon, Minister for Public Works :— Total ways and means available— The Colonial Treasurer has already men. tioned in the Financial Statement the proposal to again transfer a sum of £250,000 from the consolidated fund for general Public Works purposes. An amount of £54,681 will also be available for released sinking funds under our loan conversion operation. A further sum of £250,000 will be available for roads and bridges and the preparation of lands for settlement, and for assistance to settlers to enable them to make improve* ments under the Lands Improvement and Native Lands Acquisition Act, and a further similar sum for the purchase and roading of Native lands under the same Act. The total ways and means available for public works purposes tins year will, therefore, be as follows:— Public Works fund, part 1, balance remaining on 31st March, 1894, £263,738 ; transferred from consolidated fnnd, £250,000 ; released sinking fund, £54,. 861 ; total, £568,419. Public Works fund part 2, balance remaining on 31st March 1894, £79,198 j total public works fund, £647,616. Lands improvement account, £250,000. Gross total ways and means, £1,147,616. Appropriations proposed under these several heads are as follows: — Public works fund, part 1, £564,980; public works fund, part 2, £77,188; total public works fund, £640,168. Under the lands improvement account, £150,000, and under the native lands purchase account, £150,000. Gross total of appropriations proposed, £940,168. This will leave an unappropriated balance of £7,458 under the public works fund, to be carried forward to next year, besides £100,000 each on the lands improvement and the native lands purchase accounts, or a total unappro* priated balance of £297,453. The votes proposed under part No. 2 nearly absorb the balance of the ways and means standing to the credit of that part of the fund, which means that on their ex* penditure the one million specially raised for the North Island Main Trunk Bail* way will be practically exhausted. Honorable members will doubtles desire to know how this amount has been expended. The figures are as follows : North Island Main Trunk Railway Loan — Amount of loan, £1,000,000: receipts from lands purchased, £7,580. Total, £1,007,588. Expenditure—Survey and construction of North Island Main Trunk Railway, £547,911; Purchase of Native lands, £229,000 ; roads to give access to railway, £164,095; charges and expenses of raising loan, £51,788 ; Departmental expenditure, £892; balance unappropriated, £4,014. Total, £1,007,580. This expenditure has given, or will give, us 59 miles of finished railway, 12| miles additional on which the formation works will be completed and the rails in process of being laid, 9 miles on which the for* mation works will be in an advanced condition, 78 miles of line permanently surveyed, and 65 miles of preliminary survey. It will also give us good coach roads affording access to the railway at both ends, and leading through the centre of the North Island, namely from Hunterville to Turangarere and Tokoanu, also from Pipiriki on the Wanganui river to Ohakune, Kario, and Moawhanga also about 65 miles of road between Stratford and Ongaruhe, leaving about 40 miles of that road still to be made, besides many miles of minor roads and bridges. It has also provided us with an estate of 1,137,356 acres of freehold, and 189,148 acres of leasehold land, besides other large areas which have been partially acquired. North Island Main Trunk Railway.— For the ourrent year*we ask for a vote of L 25,000 for the northern end of the line. It is very desirable* that the northern end of this railway should be completed to the junction with Stratford, Ongamhe at Kawi Eawi, so that when this road is finished there may be a direot conneotion by road and rail between Auokland and Taranaki. Tenders for the construction of the Mako* nine viaduct will be invited shortly. For this end of line we propose an appropriation of L 250.000 this year. This will provide tor proceeding with the formation works now in hand and for making a beginning with the Makobine viaduct. The expenditure on the North Island Main Trunk Railway last year, including cost of surveys, amounted to L 89.220, while liabilities existed at the olose of the year to the amount of L 14.676. The total vote proposed for the ourrent year is L 52.778, which includes an amount of L 2.500 for carrying on surveys. The result of the surveys recommended by the House in 1892 has not justified the ex* penditure. The survey of the Urenui line was so unsatisfactory (only 8 miles being surveyed in 10 months) that further work thereon has been discontinued Two exploratory surveys were made with the view of effecting improvements in the Central route, but these have also been barren of beneficial results. Mr Holmes is now engaged in permanently locating a line along the Central route. Mr Rey. nolds has also made a careful survey for the purpose of eliminating the very steep grades at present existing on some parts of the opened line between Marton and Eltham so as to ascertain the cost of effecting necessary improvements in (bat portion of the line in the event of the main hoe to Auokland being constructed by that route. Mr Reynold's report shows that some rather extensive deviations from the existing line would be necessary, one of them being 11 miles 18 ohains in length and estimated to cost L 128.150. The total length of the devia* tions required between Marton and Eltham would be about 27 1 miles, the total estimated cost of the same being L 271.180. Eketahuna- Wood ville Line — The early completion of this railway is very desirable, as when completed it promises to be one of the best paying lines in the colony. The expenditure on the line dur* ins last year amounted to £16,719, while to the amount of £7887, and further lia- w biljties to the amount of £22,160 hav<|^ since been inpurred. We ask this year, for a vote of £40,000 which will cover the large liabilities existing, and provide for the completion of nearly all the formation works on the Line as well as for platelaying as far as the MangatainoJca bqdge. Roads— Under the head of main roads £22,285 was spent last year and on roads to open U£ Crown lands £86,042 was spent, while liabilities amounting to £87,881 were outstanding at the end of the year. For grants in aid £8,951 was spent, for village settlement £2,898, and on roads to give access to the Marfcon-Te Awamuta railway £85,155. The follow* ing summary snows road works performed during the year dray roads constructed, 296 miles ; dray roads improved, 223 miles ; dray roads maintained, 1215 miles; bridle roads constructed, 288 miles; bridle roads improved, 155 miles ; bridle roads maintained, 405 miles. Of roads through 3rown lauds,, and roads to give access ;o them through settled districts, 1402 uiles were constructed and maintained^ ast year. Thfc cosjt of constructing and oaiutaiuing main roads during the pastf 'car was about X'lo,ooo more than hi ho previous year. ' ' I or mam roads the largo sum of £40,---00 is asked for iv order to exueuto tho rorky detailed and which works the )cal authorities are unable to provide, ■lw provisigu uiado for mißcellyjeeim

roads amounts to £20,000. These roads are mainly for convenience of settlers who have m years gone by acquired lands from Crown but who are not yet provided with reasonable means of access to their properties. The sum of £20,605 is required for roads to give access to the North Island main railway line. Out of the lands improvement account it is proposed to expend £160,000 in the construction of roads and tracks to open up Crown lands. Under the beading grants in aid there are three items, which call for some notice — (ll co-operative works for unemployed, £5,000; (2) improved farm settlements, £20,000; (3 1 advances to cooperative workmen, £500. The first it intended to meet unforeseen demand* for employment and for works, the necessity fur which may arise duriner the year. The second is for providing means to pay for the felling, buruiug, and grassiug of I'mwn lands in moderate areas, suitable for working men of small means I" this way a start will be given to the farmer, and Government will receive interest in the way of rent on the improved yalne of the land. The third item is to enable the Government to make small advances to co-operative workmen employed on the construction of road* through Crown lands to enable them to bring their families on to the work*, and out of the cities^ where they are pat mg rent. Advance* will be refundable out of the men's earn ings. It it* proponed to lease to the men who desire it a small area around each dwelling. The roads which it is proposed to con struct out of the land purchase account will probably absorb £40,000 during the current jear. The amount will be used in laying out permanent roads and the construction of tracks It is proposed to obtain under the Government Louns to Local Bodies Act the full amount of £50,000, which the Act authorises. The land upon which this sum will be expended has been placed in the market or disposed of, loaded with turn* sufficient to pay interest and sinkinn fund in accordance with the regulations made under the Act. Puroha-eof Native Lands— The operations of the Native Lauds Purchase Department since passing of the Native Lands Purchase Act, 1892. have been carried on out of the funds raised under the provisions of that Act. During the tear ended Marth 31st last the area added to the public eitate, though the pur chases are not finally completed, wag 345,850 acres including the bulk of the better portions of the Awarua block in all \aq nru\ .ami